Philippians/
1

Scripture places a high premium on our love for other believers. Simply put,
loving other Christians and treating them with respect is not optional. If we do
not treat them well and love them, then we do not know God ...Read More

If we are surprised when persecution comes, then we will find it more difficult
to endure it and experience the grace of God in our suffering. Yet as we remember
that both belief and suffering are granted to us by ...Read More

We do not earn our place in heaven through the consistent endurance of
persecution and harassment. Rather, such endurance proves that we have
the faith that can alone lay hold of the benefits of salvation, for “the one who
endures ...Read More

We can by no means overestimate our need of the Christian community for
our own faithfulness to our Savior in this world. All of the greatest leaders in
church history had the support of fellow believers, and they were thereby ...Read More

In saving us from sin, death, and His holy wrath, our God has placed us in a
community that, according to His sovereign determination, needs our gifts
and talents. To refuse to serve the body of Christ is tantamount to ...Read More

One commentator has wondered what it would mean for the church if we
really acted on the reality that “to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” What if
we more consistently conducted ourselves as if true life meant ...Read More

One evidence that we are truly in Christ is that we make His glory, and therefore
the glory of the triune God, our chief end in life. As we pursue His glory
and seek to lovingly obey Him in all ...Read More

Paul had such confidence in the gospel because he knew it belonged to God
and is far greater than any one person’s ministry. When we understand this
truth, we are free from bondage to the latest fads that seek ...Read More

We must never discount the importance of preaching the truth. At the same
time, we must never ignore the importance of having our hearts in the right
place when we do so. God looks on both our outward behavior and ...Read More

Seeing the truth of God’s Word confirmed can make us more bold in the
proclamation of His gospel. As our doubts are assuaged, we see that we have
given our lives to One who is absolutely trustworthy, and we ...Read More

Our suffering for the sake of Jesus is actually an occasion for great joy, not
for the pain in itself but because it is at our weakest points that God decides
to show Himself the strongest. As we consider those ...Read More

Only by faith do we lay hold of Christ’s righteousness, which alone gets us
into heaven. Yet we can also get additional rewards in heaven if we serve God
faithfully. These rewards, however, are still grounded in faith because ...Read More

In many ways, it is easier to pray or to give to various churches and ministries
instead of doing both. How often do we pray for other believers and gospel
defenders without responding to their need for financial support? How ...Read More

Perseverance of the saints and the doctrine of unconditional election go hand
in hand. The comfort we find in the security we possess in Christ is also an
inherent part of the biblical view of God’s sovereign, electing grace ...Read More

God does not save us to be lone ranger Christians, but He expects us to
partner with other believers in order to send forth the gospel. There are a
multitude of ways in which we can support our churches, parachurch ...Read More